Coupler support wear plate



i April 10, 1934. 1 PURCELL 1,954,537

COUPLER SUPPORT WEAR PLATE Filed Oct. ll, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l y? |||l| ,mmm 1 Y l y hhwm l II I" April 10,' 1934. J. PURCELL 1,954,537

COUPLER SUPPORT WEAR PLATE Filed Oct. l1, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. lll, i934 narran srerss PATENT @iiiiih l Claim.

My invention relates to wear plates for the coupier Shanks oi railroad cars whereby greater wearing area is provided than is the case with constructions as heretofore employed.

Another object of the invention is to provide a Wear plate which inay oe easily applied and removed and which may be universal or uniform to permit application to the various types ci drait rigging at present in use; my improved wear plate being provided with means whereby the wear plate is retained in proper position in the striking plate or huinper casting at the end of the car underi aine.

The ohjects and advantages of my invention will be readily ccmprehended from the following detailed description ci the accompanying drawings, wherein-m Figure l is a horizontal longitudinal sectional view oi' portions of the drait rigging or" a car, prowth rny improved wear plate shown in plan.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view oi the draft rigging shown in Figure l, with portions omitted, and showing my improved wear plate in section.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional View taken substantially on the line 3 3 or Figure 2, looking in the direction ci the arrows.

Figure l is a longitudinal vertical section illustrating the applicationof .my invention to a diiierent type of draft rigging.

Figure 5 is a cross sectional view taken substantially on the line 5-5 of Figure fi as viewed by the arrows.

Figure 6 is a perspective View or" my improved wear plate; the plate heing viewed from the bottorn.

The invention is shown applied to well known types oi draft rigging which may consist either ci a single piece or multiple piece striking casting l which is secured to the ends ci the center sills ll of the car underiranie; the striking casting being iorined with a suitable opening therethrough for reception or" the coupler shank l2 of the draft rigging.

Both the multiple and single piece striking casting are shown in different gures for the purpose or" illustrating the adaptability oi my invention to any of the standard types of striking casting and draft rigging at present employed on railroad cars.

As the draft igging itself and the particular construction of the main portions of the striking casting are not a part oi my invention, a detailed description ci these elements need not be entered into beyond the general statement heretofore given, except in so far as the relation and cooperation ci niy improved wear plate to said elements is concerned,

ln view of the constant shifting movements, both longitudinally and laterally, of the coupler shank, it is apparent that the car ler iron 13 of the striking casting shown in Liigures e and and the carrier iron i3@ shown in Figures l and 2 would soon become worn ir" they were not provided with a wear plate on which the coupler shank normally rests. @D

It is also essential that the couplers he maintained at a standard height in order that proper couplings or" cars may be made; the height being maintained by a proper wear plate which is seatable on the carrier iron i3 or llia of the striking casting. Without some suitable wear receiving supporting member for the coupler shank, it is apparent that all wear resulting from the constant shifting of the ccnplenshank would he on the comparatively narrow portion constituting the carrier iron at the bottoni of the striking casting, which in a very short space ci time would necessitate the replacement oi the entire striking casting.

in order to overcome this diniculty, wear plates have been employed; these Wear plates being usually made of width substantially that oi the .lower arno or carrier iron oi the striking casting so as to ht onto said carrierliron or in soine special instances of width less than that ci the 82 carrier iron of the striking Vcasting so as to fit into a cavity formed in the carrier iron portion of the striking casting. in all instances, how ever, the wear plates have been of such construction and size as not to aircrd or present a great coupler shank supporting area.

My invention involves the idea oi providing a wear plate which aiords a greater transverse wearing area than has heretofore been the case, and which at the same time will not permit lateral nor twisting movement thereof during operation of the car.

My improved wear plate, oi suitable metal, as shown in Figure 6, consists ci a rectangular metal plate 14 of proper thickness and of width or transverse dimensions materially greater than the transverse width oi the carrier iron 13 oi the striking casting as shown in Figure ll, so as to extend into the coupler shank receiving opening of the striking casting and beyond the normal inner edge of the carrier iron 13 of the striking casting, see Figure e; with the length of the Wear plate substantially that of the horizontal length oi the opening in the striking casting; the length of the wear plate 14 being sufllO ciently less than the length of the opening so as to be easily insertible into place.

The longitudinal edges of the Wear plate are preferably provided With the depending longitudinal anges 15 and 16, see Figure 6, which not only reenforce the wear plate but which also hold the plate against lateral or in-and-out movement in the striking casting opening.

That is to say, the depending ange 15 is adapted to lap the forward outer face of the carrier iron 13 of the striking casting as shown in Figure 4 and thus prevent inward shifting or movement of the wear plate with the retracting movement of the coupler-shank 12.

In order that the inner longitudinal side of the wear plate may have proper support and therefore also take the frictional bearing strains of the coupler-shank I provide the carrier iron 13 of the striking casting, intermediate of the ends with an extended portion 17; the transverse width of the carrier iron 13 and extension 17 being slightly less than the distance between the flanges 15 and 16 of the wear plate 14, so as to permit the rear flange 16 of the wear plate to lap the inner face of this extended portion 17 of the carrier iron 13 of the striking casting.

In view of the increased transverse area or dimensions of the wear plate, means are provided to prevent twisting movement of the wear plate. The specific means adapted for this purpose consists in providing the rear ilange 16 of the wear plate 14 with a rounded projection or lug 18, see Figure 6, which seats in a rounded socket formed in the vertical edge of the extended portion 17 of the carrier ironiS of the striking casting.

The lug 18 and the socket referred to are preferably arranged so as to be disposed substantially at the transverse center of the opening in the striking casting and therefore substantially at the longitudinal center of the coupler shank when the latter is in centered position.

The wear plate 14e, shown in Figure 6, is especially intended for use with the type of draft rigging employing what is known as a horizontal yoke 19 which extends longitudinally alongside the other elements of the draft rigging and into 'the opening in the striking casting, so that the forward lower faces of the yoke come into bearing relation with the wear plate 1li, as shown in Figure 4.

Where my improved wear plate is intended to `-be used with draft rigging having what is known as a vertical yoke, as shown at 20, in Figures l and 2, and whose ends are tapered as shown at 21 in Figure 2, suiiicient clearance between the tapered ends of the yoke 20 and the wear plate 14a must be provided for the in-and-out movement of the yoke without contact of these ta- Zpered ends with the wear plate. When the wear plate is to be used with this type of draft rigging, the two inner corners of the wear plate are then cut away as shown at 22 in Figure 1.

It will be understood that the intermediate portion of the wear plate is left intact as shown at 16L so as to provide the large wearing area as shown in Figure 2 (namely having the width as shown in Figure 6) so as to provide a large bearing surface or contact for the coupler-shank 12 which enters the draft rigging between the horizontally spaced ends 21 of the vertically disposed yoke 20.

Thc intermedate portion at the rear side of the wear plate, as employed in Figures 1 and 2, is of substantially the saine dimension as the width of the coupler-shank 12, thus providing a contact surface equal to the major transverse dimensions of the wear plate and therefore a surface greatly in excess to that of any of the types of Wear plates at present in use.

Where my improved wear plate is to be used with railroad cars at present in use, the lower portion or carrier arm 13 or 13a, of the striking casting, is provided with the rearward projection 17 or 17a by welding or otherwise securing the projection thereto, in order that the wide wear plate may be properly supported; the added projection being provided With the socket for the lug 18 as previously described.

The wear plates shown and described are embodiments of the invention best adapted to present day striking castings and draft rigging whereby greater bearing surface for the coupler-Shanks is provided and therefore longer life and usefulness obtained, but modifications may be made without, however, departing from the scope of the claim.

What I claim is:

In combination with a coupler-shank and the striking casting of a railroad car provided with a coupler-shank receiving opening and with a carrier iron; a rearwardly disposed projection provided on the rear side of the carrier iron intermediate of its ends, said projection provided with a vertically disposed groove, and a flat wear plate adapted to fit into the striking casting and be supported by the carrier iron, with the couplershank supporting portion thereof of width greater than the width of the carrier iron and its projection, the wear plate having depending flanges at its forward and rearward longitudinal edges, with the rear iiange provided with a forwardly presented arcuate enlargement adapted to seat in said vertically disposed groove of said projection on the carrier iron.

JOHN PURCELL. 

